Previously on "Dark Matter"...
My name is Alexander Rook.
I own a company called Dwarf Star Technologies
along with all of its subsidiaries,
patents, and prototypes,
including Rebecca.
Although Rebecca's biological components are superior,
she must be constantly monitored.
The scientist gave up Nova-17
as the location of the manufacturing facility.
If I'm right, we'll be heading off
a full-scale invasion.
What the hell?
Help me. Please.
What is this? Where are we?
They're coming. Please.
Who's coming?
It's too late. We're too late.
- Synced and corrected by VitoSilans - -- www.Addic7ed.com --
It's been two days. No sign of any activities.
No ships in or out.
How much longer do you want to wait?
If what Victor showed The Android is true,
Nova-17 is a Dwarf Star facility.
I don't want to take any chances.
Neither do I,
but we can't just sit out here forever.
You got somewhere to be?
Yeah. Out there,
helping in the fight against Ferrous Corp.
I don't like them either, but this war is bigger than us.
We have a working Blink Drive now.
Even with the Blink Drive, we're more of an annoyance
- than a threat to them. - We can make a difference.
Maybe not in the grand scheme of things,
but at least in the lives of the innocent people
affected by this corporate war.
Hey, I thought you were going to try
- and grab some shut-eye. - Ah, sleep's overrated.
Has The Android picked up any life signs?
We're too far out. She's been working on
boosting the sensors,
but there's only so much she can do.
Sooner or later, we're gonna have to go in
for a closer look.
Maybe we shouldn't be doing this.
- Hmm? - What are you talking about?
Ever since we dropped out in this system...
I don't know, I just... get a bad feeling.
You care to be a bit more specific?
I can't. I can't explain it.
If this is about Sarah,
I'm sure you'll get a chance to...
It's not about Sarah, all right?
It's just... something doesn't feel right.
Two, this is the bridge.
Yeah, go ahead.
There's something you should see.
There is something different about you.
New hairstyle?
No, actually. It's a new outfit.
Uh, yeah, I was kidding...
I noticed.
Recent events have inspired me to adopt a fresh, new look.
- I love it. - Thank you, Five.
- It's very nice. - Looks great.
Yeah, looks great.
Don't tell me you called us up here
to check out your new look.
I did.
But, also, after boosting long-range sensors,
I was able to discover a network of unmanned security satellites
around Nova-17.
If we get close enough that the "Marauder" can make
planet-fall, we will undoubtedly
- be detected and fired upon. - Can we take them out?
Not without taking significant damage
to ourselves.
So that's it, then.
If we can't get anywhere near the planet,
then what are we supposed to do?
What about Dr. Shaw's backdoor program?
What are you talking about?
She gave me a command code she had embedded
in Dwarf Star's security protocol
- when she was working there. - That was on Earth.
But if they're using the same security program...
That's a big if.
Can we transmit the override command
- from out here? - Negative.
The drone satellites are currently dormant.
They need to be activated
before the override can take effect.
So the only way to see if it works
is to get close enough to be screwed if it doesn't.
I can have the FTL drive
prepped and ready for immediate activation
if things go poorly.
We should be able to escape with minimal damage
if the override command should fail.
Assuming the engines aren't the first thing to go,
which they pretty much always are in this tub.
"Tub" seems a little harsh.
You said in the memory that Victor showed you,
I was talking about how this space could be
- the key to stopping an invasion. - Invasion?
Invasion by who?
Come on, guys, I can't be the only one to see
how crazy this is... Risking our lives
based on some kind of hunch?
Those satellites are protecting something
down there... something big.
- I think it's worth the risk. - Me too.
Six.
We've been detected.
Transmitting override command.
What's going on?
Command delivered.
Did it work?
Yes.
The satellite network has been disabled.
All right, let's gear up.
Excuse the intrusion.
What?
I'm concerned.
Yeah, so am I.
No one seems to give a rat's ass.
No. I'm concerned about you.
What are you talking about?
As you may recall, I possess the ability
to detect subtle changes
in human physiology at short range.
- Heart rate... - Yep.
Respiration,
skin temperature, pupil dilation,
sweat production...
Is there gonna be a point soon?
I'm detecting something in you I've never seen before...
Fear.
I didn't want to say anything in front of the others.
I don't know what the hell you're talking about.
It's getting worse the closer we get to the planet.
You don't want to be here.
It's not the first time that I disagree with a mission.
True,
but usually you respond with anger,
frustration,
resentment, and a somewhat childish inability
to consider other viewpoints.
This is different.
Yeah, it's different because usually,
when we risk our asses, it's based on something real...
Something we can trust.
You're implying that
the memory Victor showed me is not reliable.
He puts his hands on your head,
and then he looks you in the eye and he shows you a memory.
We're supposed to gamble our lives based on that?
I thought you were over your distrust of Victor...
and of androids in general.
In fact, you said if he ever returned to the ship,
you would welcome him.
I know what I said.
I believe the information is reliable.
Two, when she was Portia, very much wanted to find out
what was happening on that facility.
And you agreed.
That was Boone...
not me.
Hey.
So, uh...
what's going on?
What's going on where, Two?
Well...
Here, mostly.
My boobs?
Uh, yeah.
- Am I doing them wrong? - No, it's not that.
Perhaps you could offer me some guidance.
I noticed you're very adept at...
packaging yours.
Thanks. But I'm not looking
to offer fashion advice. It's just...
Well, it's a very different look for you,
and I was wondering why.
Oh.
Well...
finally learning the truth about my origin
has caused me to reconsider who and what I am.
I learned I'm special, Two...
in a good way.
That was never in doubt.
That's very kind of you, but I did have my doubts.
But now I know I was designed for more...
To be more.
I guess that's something we have in common.
It's true. We do.
So... the outfit...
I wanted something that incorporates
the two worlds that I embody...
Humanity and instrumentality, functionality and sexuality,
polymer-coated nano-fibers and... boobs.
Okay, stop saying that.
"Boobs"?
Okay. If this new look
makes you happy, that's all that matters.
It's not so much this new look, but the very fact
that I can choose a new look that makes me happy.
Today it will be this.
Tomorrow it might be something else.
But the point is, I now possess the autonomy
to decide my own fate.
What I wear is just a small part
of the endless possibilities open to me.
It opens up a whole new world.
Well... great.
It is great.
You've been a very good friend to me, Two...
for longer than either of us will ever know.
Thank you...
so much.
Always.
Boobs.
Boo...
The planet is mostly ocean, with what appear to be
several abandoned deuterium processing facilities
on the surface.
No sign of activity?
Negative.
But I am detecting an anomalous energy signature
emanating from within.
What do you mean "anomalous"?
The computer is unable to match the readings
to any known analytical models.
So, in other words, no idea.
I'm guessing that's our target.
It's worth checking out.
Send us the coordinates.
Understood.
"Raza," we're in.
Any more information about that anomaly?
It's located further within the facility,
but difficult to pinpoint.
All right, let's go.
Whole place is powered down.
It doesn't look like anyone's been here in a while.
That's what I'm saying.
We're wasting our time.
Hold on.
I got something.
"Raza," we found something. Looks like some kind of lab.
There are people inside these things.
Heart rate, respiration...
Body temperature?
This is all consistent with stasis.
Wait a minute.
What?
Nanites.
They're like me. Dwarf Star made them.
Okay. Well, there's only four of them, so no big deal, right?
Uh, guys?
There are a few more of them over here.
The upload is coming in now.
You were correct in your assumption, Two.
These scans are very similar to your own.
They're bio-synthetic organisms like yourself.
They've got them listed by serial number.
There's hundreds, maybe more.
No need to panic.
As long as they're in stasis, they're no threat, right?
He didn't build 'em to sleep forever.
Sooner or later, they're gonna wake up.
- The Dwarf Star conspiracy. - What's that?
It's one of the things
Future Five warned The Android about
while she was time-jumping... The Dwarf Star conspiracy.
We need to find out why Rook made them.
What are they for?
Isn't it obvious?
He's building his own private army.
I mean, we've all seen what she can do.
Imagine a thousand like her...
All loyal to one man.
Yeah, still, not much of an army without ships.
Maybe he's building them, too.
Ah, he's rich, but he can't compete
with the big corporations on that scale.
Hang on a second.
It looks like they've set up
false identities for each of them...
Name, GA registration, place of birth...
even the names of their parents.
Which they never had.
And check out the ages.
Most are in their 20s or 30s,
but some are as young as five.
And as old as 65.
I... I don't get it. If he's building an army,
why would he make some of them
look like children or old people?
Because they weren't designed to fight.
They were designed to infiltrate.
Okay, soldiers and spies. That's even worse.
Point is...
I think we all know he didn't build them
to send them out to do charity work.
When they come out of those pods,
it's gonna be trouble for us all.
So what do you want to do? Kill them all?
What do you want to do?
You want to just walk away?
We're not going to do anything
until we know exactly what's going on.
Hopefully by then, it's not too late.
I'm detecting an FTL window.
It's a Mikkei destroyer.
They're just fired two shots across our bow.
- We're receiving a transmission. - Yep, let me hear it.
This is Commander Tarkanian
of the Mikkei destroyer "Arashi."
Those were just warning shots, "Raza."
We didn't come here to fight, but we will if we have to.
- What do you want? - We're investigating a tip
we received regarding Dwarf Star Technologies.
Now, unless you want to make an enemy
of the Mikkei Combine,
you will stand down and agree to cooperate.
All right.
Okay, Android, stay alert. We're gonna cooperate.
- Understood. - You think that's a good idea?
Whoa, whoa. Easy.
All right, carefully place your weapons on the floor,
put your hands behind your heads,
- and step back. - Yeah, that's not gonna happen.
- I'm not gonna ask you again. - Look...
we're cooperating like we said we would.
We're not handing over our weapons.
Damn straight.
I'm gonna give you exactly three seconds to comply,
or this is gonna get ugly.
You don't want it to go down like that.
Trust me.
Lieutenant! Stand down.
- Sir? - I said stand down.
Go with the other squads. Continue to search the facility.
Are you sure that's wise, sir?
Why not?
We're all friends here, right?
Yeah, let's try to keep it that way.
I have to apologize for Lieutenant Sajen.
She can be a little overzealous.
Now, where are the rest?
This way.
Looks like Dwarf Star has been busy.
- You know what they are? - I have a pretty good idea.
- What are we looking at, Doc? - It's confirmed.
They're all full-blown simulants.
- Simulants? - Simulated humans.
- Illegal tech. - Exactly.
They're illegal. So you have enough evidence
to build a GA case against Dwarf Star Technologies
and arrest Alexander Rook.
I'd love to...
if I knew where he was.
Rook's been missing for over a month.
What do we do with them, sir? There's too many to transport.
I'll have to call it in to Central.
My guess is we'll keep a few of them for study,
but the rest will have to be destroyed.
That's what I said.
Wait a second here. They may have been manufactured
in a lab, but they're still people.
Technically, no, they're not.
They're flesh and blood. They have their own minds.
According to my intel,
they're programmed to be loyal to Rook.
They're not machines.
Maybe they can be convinced. If we give them a choice,
some of them may choose to turn against him.
Is that a hunch,
or are you basing that on experience?
I'd say it stands to reason.
Sorry, not very convincing.
Sir, we found something. You better come and see this.
I'm on my way.
It's in there, sir.
Never seen anything like it.
What the hell is that?
What are the odds this is the source of the anomaly
- we detected from orbit? - I'd say pretty good.
Three, what's wrong?
What is it?
I've been here before.
- That's impossible. - I've been here before.
Something wrong?
I'm not sure.
Ah, ah, ah...
Hey, Three, it's okay.
Hey, hey...
He's having a seizure. He needs medical attention.
We have to go back to our ship now.
Hey, hey...
I'm afraid I can't allow that.
Until I get to the bottom of this,
no one is going anywhere.
Hey!
Aah!
Where am I?
We found the station's old sick bay.
It's pretty bare bones,
but I guess it'll have to do for now.
- What happened? - You collapsed.
- I did? - When we were in
the other room, you said you had been there before.
What did you mean by that?
I saw it in a dream.
In a dream? Really?
I know how that sounds. I'm not crazy.
Sir, we've completed our sweep of the facility.
No unusual activity, no other life signs.
We have to get out of here.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy.
Hey, what are you talking about?
- They're gonna come through. - Who's coming through?
- Coming through what? - These voices in my head.
I can't get them out. I can't get them to stop.
Hey, look at me, look at me. You need to take it easy, okay?
- You don't understand. - Hey, hey...
- It's okay, I got you. - You don't understand.
Six, we can't stop them. We have to go now.
Three, calm down.
Okay, all right.
- We can't stop them. - It's okay. It's okay.
- It's okay. - We have to go.
- Six, Six... - It's okay, it's okay.
It's all right.
- Was that really necessary? - You heard him.
He's obviously suffering
from some kind of mental breakdown.
Hey.
Commander, what are you planning on doing with us?
I'm only asking for a little patience.
A member of my crew needs medical attention,
and I'm not just talking about sedatives.
You can't keep us here forever.
Of course not.
Like I said, just until I find out what the hell is going on.
And how do you plan on doing that?
Simple... we're going to question one of the simulants.
You're gonna revive one of them?
Are you sure that's a good idea?
You were the one who told me they could be reasoned with.
Yeah, they can also be dangerous.
And how would you know that?
We've encountered them before.
Interesting.
Care to provide details?
Don't worry. We'll take precautions.
Five.
- What are you doing? - Nothing.
You're supposed to be helping recalibrate the sensor array
in order to further investigate the nature of the anomaly.
I was, but then I figured there might be an easier way.
By hacking the facility's mainframe?
The override only gives us access to security protocols,
but there's a lot more data down there
just waiting to be decoded.
Even though we agreed to step back
and let Mikkei run the investigation?
What they don't know can't hurt them, right?
It's my understanding that what people don't know
can hurt them... quite severely.
It's just an expression.
You gonna help me or not?
Okay.
You are not a human being...
at least not in the eyes of the law.
You have no rights,
which means that I can do whatever is necessary
to extract the information that I need from you.
What is that thing?
Ordinary torture is inefficient.
With this, we simply dial up
whatever specific pain is required.
Like, for example...
the sensation of having one of your fingers cut off.
Or a needle pushed through your eye.
It's direct nerve stimulation.
No actual damage is done,
so his nanites can't do anything about it.
Very effective.
- How's he doing? - Hasn't made a peep.
I'm not surprised,
after the amount of sedative I gave him.
Strange thing is,
I can't seem to find anything wrong with him.
Don't shoot! Please, don't.
This is pointless. He's not gonna tell you anything.
You don't know that. We're just getting started.
- This isn't right. - He's not a real person.
He was made in a lab. Get that through your head.
Commander, this is Dr. Aaron in the sick bay.
Boone's escaped. He's armed.
- What happened? - Looks like your friend
really did want to get out of here.
All squads, this is Tarkanian. Boone's escaped.
He's armed and extremely dangerous.
He'll most likely head for their shuttle,
- so be ready. - You can't kill him.
- If he attacks any of our men... - He's not thinking straight.
You saw it yourself.
We've been cooperating with you.
Use nonlethal force, if possible.
That's the best that I can do.
We're gonna go help look for him.
If we find him first,
less chance any of your men get hurt.
What about him?
Lock him up. I'm not done with him yet.
Three, come in.
Three, respond.
They didn't take his comm. Why isn't he responding?
Like you said, he's not thinking straight.
He's probably convinced they're monitoring the channel.
- "Raza," do you read? - Go ahead.
I'm gonna need you to hack
into the facility's main computer.
Uh, we kind of already did that.
- Sorry. - Don't apologize.
I need you to use the internal sensors
to track Three's comm.
- Why? What's wrong? - It's kind of a long story.
- Can you do it? - It may take a few minutes,
but it should be possible.
All right, let us know when you got something.
Inside.
Turn around.
I said, "Turn around."
Don't worry.
Your time will come.
Get out of my head.
Gah! Get out of my head!
Get out of my head!
Aah!
- Two, do you read me? - Go ahead.
I have internal sensors online.
Three appears to be very close to the anomaly
Why the hell would he go there?
- We're on our way. - You should know...
the anomaly is growing in intensity.
It appears to be drawing power
from the facility's fusion reactor.
Please be careful.
Roger that.
Commander?
Lieutenant, we find him yet?
No, sir, but it's only a matter of time.
Well, let's make it quick.
This place is starting to give me the creeps,
and I want to get out of here as soon as possible.
Understood.
All squads, this is Lieutenant Sajen.
Commander Tarkanian has been shot and killed.
It must've been the escaped prisoner.
He's obviously gone insane, so don't take any chances.
When you see him, shoot on sight.
Five?
Hey. Hey.
Three? Hey.
Hey.
Wake up. Hey.
Come on, man.
Guys, we found something.
Yeah, so did we. We found Three.
- Is he all right? - I'm not sure.
But I think we got to get him the hell out of here.
Okay, but before you do anything,
there's something you should know.
I found another list of simulants,
an earlier batch, a couple dozen.
They were activated months ago,
sent out to join all the corporate armies.
They've been working their way up the ranks ever since.
So it's already begun.
Yeah, they're setting the stage for the next wave.
Actually, it's worse than you think.
You're not really Five, are you?
Of course not.
Your mind is too primitive to grasp what we are,
too frightened of the truth...
so it seeks the comfort of familiar images.
You're one of those aliens...
the ones I had inside me.
You're on the other side of that wall.
It's not a wall.
It's a gateway.
And once it's fully powered,
there will be nothing to stop us from coming through.
That's what the simulants are for...
Host bodies, like I was.
Perceptive.
And here we thought he was just a brute.
He could be useful.
Without the nanite upgrades, he'll wear out too quickly.
There are other ways he could serve us.
- You mean like Rook? - Exactly.
We gave him technologies that made him rich.
Everything he could possibly want.
No, thanks. I think I'll pass.
You're still harboring the illusion
that you can stop us.
Nothing can prevent us from coming through.
Why do you want to come through anyway?
Grass is always greener on the other side
of the interdimensional portal?
Our universe is dying.
We've watched the progress
of a billion years' worth of entropy
and fed off the slow disintegration
into the chaos of our world.
Now there's nothing left to sustain us.
This universe is younger.
We can feed off of it for over a billion years.
You guys are, like, the worst neighbors ever.
This is pointless.
He'll never agree to serve us.
True.
He's too ignorant.
Maybe.
He's too sentimental.
Wow. That's a first.
You still believe.
Deep down, you know that anything
humanity will ever accomplish
will one day turn to dust.
So you hide behind the illusion of family,
friendship, love.
You can't accept the truth because you are weak.
Cross through that portal.
Find out how weak we really are.
Three, can you hear me?
Three?
Oh, hey.
Welcome back.
We got to find a way to shut that thing down.
- What is it? - It's a gateway.
Put your weapons down! Put your weapons down now!
Wait, hold on. Just wait a minute.
He killed Commander Tarkanian.
No, he didn't. It was Lieutenant Sajen.
What the hell are you talking about?
She's one of them, a simulant.
I have proof.
Dr. Aaron, report.
Dr. Aaron?
Sergeant Morse?
Sergeant, report.
This is Sergeant Morse. We got two of the prisoners.
Boone?
And Varrick, yes, ma'am.
Kill them.
Ma'am?
Boone killed Commander Tarkanian.
He's a psychopath.
The others can't be trusted.
It's the only way.
I told you. She's one of them.
They've infiltrated all the corporations.
They're working their way up.
That's why she killed your commander...
To take his place.
All squads, this is Dr. Aaron.
Effective immediately, Lieutenant Sajen
has been relieved of her duties for medical reasons.
I'm taking command of this mission.
Sergeant, release the prisoners.
Sergeant?
You heard the man.
Stand down.
Fall back to the lab.
Understood.
Shit.
We've got a problem here.
She's not alone.
Time to fulfill your destiny.
Three, Six, we've got a new problem.
Looks like Sajen released the other simulants in the lab.
That makes four total, for now.
Shit.
Doctor, you've got to warn your men.
I'm not trained for this.
I'm not a combat officer.
Listen, I've seen what these simulants can do.
They're dangerous.
Sergeant Morse, report.
Sergeant, come in.
You've got to do something, now.
You're right.
All remaining Mikkei crew,
fall back to the shuttle.
We'll return to the ship and call for reinforcements.
Three, Six, get back to the "Marauder"
- and get the hell out of here. - What about you?
The doctor and I will head back to the Mikkei shuttle.
We'll meet you back on the "Raza."
- All right, roger that. - We'll bring the whiskey.
Come forth, my brothers and sisters.
Sergeant, where's your squad?
- They're dead. - What happened?
He came out of nowhere.
Took us by surprise.
- What the hell? - We need to get out of here.
Move!
Can it get through the door?
I don't think so.
What the hell was that?
I don't know,
but we've encountered them before.
They seem to like taking human bodies as hosts.
Oh, my God.
This is Dr. Aaron. Can anybody read me?
Sir! We're under attack!
Some kind of creatures!
Can you make it to the shuttle?
They're all around us!
Come in?
Do you read me? Anybody?
"Raza," this is the "Marauder."
Any word from Two?
Has the Mikkei shuttle launched?
Negative.
We're cut off from the shuttle.
There's no way out.
We need to get to the station's reactor.
- Why? - It's supplying power
to the anomaly... We need to shut it down.
The anomaly? We don't even know what it is.
My crewman, Boone, when he came to,
he said it was a gateway.
He also said he could hear voices in his head.
I think maybe he can.
He's had those things in him before.
We managed to get it out, but what if it affected him?
Gave him some kind of connection to the others?
You're both insane.
They are not native to this planet
or any planet that I've ever been to.
They're an alien life-form.
And you think they're coming through the anomaly?
Yes! And we need to shut it down.
Keep more of them from making the trip.
Even if it's true, we wouldn't make it
100 meters before they'd be on us.
What about those simulants
that are lying helpless right now,
waiting to be taken?
You want an army of those things out there,
disguised as humans?
You're right. We don't have a choice.
Let me call it in.
"Arashi," this is Dr. Aaron.
Emergency protocol alpha-one.
Authorization 274117.
You sure about this, Doctor?
- What are you doing? - It's my call.
Execute.
What did you do?
I called in the nuclear strike.
Wha...
I'm sorry.
"Raza," this is the "Marauder" on approach.
Did the Mikkei ship just launch a missile?
Affirmative.
Tactical nuclear device.
It appears to be targeting the platform.
What about the shuttle?
It hasn't launched.
We're going back.
You can't. You'd never make it.
Open a channel to the Mikkei ship.
I'm sorry, "Raza." There's nothing we can do.
You can disarm the nuke before it hits.
We've still got a crew member down there.
We've got people down there, too, "Raza,"
but it was an executive order... It's out of my hands.
If you don't disarm the nuke, we'll have no choice
but to take it out ourselves.
They've severed the communication link.
Fire on the nuke, now.
Launching missiles.
- What was that? - The Mikkei ship intercepted
our attempt to intercept the nuclear device.
Please tell me she's not still down there.
I'm afraid so.
Impact in five seconds.
She can't be dead.
I'm sorry, kid, but...
- I think I may have found something. - What is it?
I was checking the sensor logs
from just prior to the explosion.
It's difficult to be certain because of the interference
caused by the anomaly as it attained full power.
In fact, I had quite a time extrapolating the relevant data
and had to resort to several unusual algorithms in order...
Will you spit it out already?
I think there may have been a small FTL window
in the planet's atmosphere
from just prior to the explosion.
Was it Mikkei?
Negative.
Well, then who the hell was it?
Three, what happened?
Wait a minute.
How can we be in FTL?
Three, what the hell is going on?
We can be in FTL
because this ain't your "Marauder."
And I ain't Three.
Now, settle down.
Got a long ride ahead.
- Synced and corrected by VitoSilans - -- www.Addic7ed.com --